Category Archives: Knitting

Grandma Says

Knitting, Weaving, ,

I love to knit. . . been doing it since I was in 2nd grade . . . and that was a loooong time ago. And yet, I’ve always wanted to learn how to weave. However, I am the kind of knitter that knits a swatch and then goes for the project . . . I ‘m not very good at the planning stage. I’ve not dug into the world of weaving very deeply because it seems to me like you need to plan out your projects. And, convincing myself I don’t really like planning, thus weaving, is an excuse for the fact that looms are expensive and take up a lot of room. So I’ll stick to my first love, knitting.

I did take a table loom weaving class at the Yarnery in St. Paul about 10 years ago. That was really fun, but I didn’t have any of the tools. (Use of  a loom and tools were included in the class, but I had to return them) Drat.

Last week,  a friend of the family gave us looms!!!!

A 60″ Fanny Loom and a table loom. . . and a bunch of stuff that is unidentifiable to me. I feel so fortunate! Now, what to do with it all and where in the house to set it up? I’m really excited to start learning to use this wonderful gift!!

I’ve been researching classes and reading books from the box-o-books that accompanied the looms. The first thing I want to weave is a guitar strap for my 1947 Martin OO17!

As my Grandma often said when she heard me whining when I was a child, “Be careful what you wish for”.

 

 

Non knitting post about candle making

Striped Socks

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, On My Needles, Original Patterns, , , , ,

I finished these socks in 3 days!!
I’m celebrating a friend’s birthday tonight (Friday)  and on Tuesday I thought how lovely it would be to give him a pair of hand knit socks. . . so here they are. . . on my old feet.

Gary's socks

I used Harrisville Designs Highland yarn on size 3 needles. They are a sturdy pair of socks!

I love the variety of colors available by Harrisville Designs!

sock heelsEven striped through the heels!

Another head in the Treetops Cap

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , , , , , ,

01ellenintreetopsI knit this hat for Ellen but it is so soft and lovely that I’ll be wearing it when she isn’t!

I knit this in LOFT – a 100% American wool – Grown in Wyoming, spun in New England – this wool is very fun to knit.

I used size US 2 and 3 knitting needles and knit this hat in the round. Here is a link to my pattern.

Top of cap
Top of cap

Knitting enthusiasm still strong

Find knitting news, Knitting, On My Needles, , ,

It has been ages since I’ve blogged. . . okay, only about 18 months. ..but that is ages in “online” time.
I’ve been busy knitting – – – AND – – – learning how to play Cajun accordion. Learning to play the accordion is cutting into my knitting time, but I’m sure I’m building new neuropathways in my brain. The in and out of the bellows while at the same time playing a tune on the buttons is a lot like rubbing your tummy and patting the top of your head. It is also reawakening my knitting creativity! (I’ve started a new shawl that I will tell you about soon)
Recently a friend sent me a link to an article about a knitting group started in prison. An inspiring read. Here is the link:
Reading this made me want to knit with friends again. . .
Happy knitting!
Shawn

A great cast on when starting at the top

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, On My Needles, , , , , , ,

I love to knit mittens and hats from the top down! Starting at the top provides me the opportunity to keep trying it on as I go. . . and my projects always turn out the right length.

Here is a video of a really nice cast on that I have started using to get a sweet flower at the top of my hats and mittens.

I used this method for this hat –

I’m a big fan of fulling and felting too. These mitts are knit using two strands of Galway wool and US 17 circular needles, then fulled to fit.

I’m working on a pattern that explains how I knit mittens from the top down. . it will include directions for this fulled mitten, which by the way is super warm and great to wear in MN winters while waiting for the bus! This could also be used as an oven mitt.

Earflap hat with Twined Knitting

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A while back a friend mentioned she wanted a classy, black, earflap hat to wear with her “good” coat. She showed my the ecru 1940s art deco style silk scarf that she wears with this coat. A lovely design is woven into the scarf and I decided to try to match it on the brim of the hat. I wanted something that would be warm and with a nice firm brim and earflaps.

Result – twined knitting – with raised stitches.

    

I fell in love with twined knitting about a year ago, and my family chipped in and bought me Twined Knitting, A Swedish Folkcraft Technique by Birgitta Dandanell & Ulla Danielsson. (an out of print 96$ purchase!!).

So I read the book and figured out how to make raised stitch designs and the black hat pictured here was the result. I don’t remember what yarn I used for that hat.

After knitting several hats I’ve decided a nice spungey, springy yarn, with lots of body works best when knit on a smaller size needle than recommended on the label.

    

I’m happy to knit you one in the color of your choice! 50 colors to choose from in Harrisiville Shetland! Shoot me a comment for more details.

I am writing the pattern using the wavy raised stitch design for publication seen on the other hats pictured here.

Pattern coming soon!

Recognition at Patternfish!

Knitting, My original hand knitting patterns, Original Patterns, , , ,

Editor’s Choice!

This January the editor of Patternfish newsletter became intrigued with a new technique I’m developing – a new way of putting knit and purl rows together. I’ve written three patterns using this technique and she featured them in the newsletter.

Take a look! (Scroll down the newsletter a bit to find me)

Gayle found my knitted brass piece on my blog and included that in the bottom of the newsletter too.

I love days like this!

Image

The most current pattern I’ve written using this technique is called Anna Dorothy – in honor of my maternal grandmother.

I adored my Grandma, Dorothy, and after she died we found her birth certificate: she was christened Anna Dorothy. Knowing this makes me miss her more.

This shawl is for you Grandma!

It’s a race! Cold weather vs. finished pullover.

Knitting, On My Needles, , , , , ,

I love the local library! I found a gem of a book titled,”Latvian Dreams, Knitting from Weaving Patterns” by Joyce Williams. It was full of charts with geometric designs. The sweater patterns in the book were fashioned after the gansey, very little shaping, with the focus on the two color patterns. The sweater is knit in a traditional style of knitting in the round and using steeks at armholes and collar.

I decided to try the “High Park Pullover”. In the book it is shown in blue and white – but I think (and am hoping) that I have enough fine weight alpaca to knit this (with long sleeves). Years ago I bought tons of alpaca yarn from Richness Alpaca. I’ve been looking for a project to use it all up and I have found it!

I am racing the snow – my goal is to be wearing this sweater the first time I shovel!

High Park Pullover
15 more rows and I am at the collar!

The first inch of rows were the hardest. Now that I have figured out the repeats I don’t have to look at every stitch on the chart while knitting. I’ve had to frog a few rows but luckily not too often.

Bottom of sweater
Bottom of alpaca hand knit sweater

The book has a fun approach to the sweater patterns. Charts show the geometric patterns in the shape of the sweaters. Gauges for different weight yarns are listed and depending on which yarn you use you adjust the pattern by number of repeats. For my sweater I added 20 stitches to the charted pattern in order to get the correct size – One 10st repeat for the front and one for the back.

Alpaca sweater, center stitches

I can’t wait to get to the sleeve – see how clever the design is where the sleeves meets the body of the sweater! I’ll have to walk around waving my arms in the air to show it off.

Photo of underarm for High Park pullover

I can get one round done in about 20 minutes. The sweater is charted at 270 rows. . .  (not including the sleeves, I haven’t looked at those yet) I don’t want to do the math! I’m planning on working both sleeves at the same time because I’ll have to tweak the pattern and also because I’m not sure how far my different colors of yarn will stretch. Knitting both sleeves at the same time will help me use up the yarn and make sure the sleeves look the same. The sleeves are worked from the top down, picking up sts at the armholes and working down to the cuffs, and that’s a lot of fabric on my lap. Doing both sleeves at the same time prevents sleeve slap (that happens while turning the sweater to knit the second sleeve and the one that is done swings around and slaps you).

I’ll post pics of me in it – shovelling.